Engineering leaders often have a distinct disadvantage in that engineering as a discipline is attached to the idea of certainty and precision. We deal with rigorous processes and formulas. Consistent inputs will produce predictable outcomes. And even where uncertainty exists, we can calculate with reasonable precision the likelihood of each of a variety of results.
As engineers, we become known for finding concrete solutions to problems that other people find puzzling or overwhelming. And if we’re not careful, we establish a pattern that eventually derails our success.
We become enlightened ones, attached to our certainty.
If someone makes a statement that seems ambiguous or controversial, we can report the dictionary definition of each word and declare exactly what they meant by what they said. If someone proposes a direction that, from our perspective, seems unwise, we can cite statistics and documented “best practices” to defend a clearly better way of doing things.
For so much of our lives, our value has come from our ability to apply things that we understand but that others don’t. And we value our answers because they come with certainty and precision.
But as we grow, we begin to realize that often the most valuable discoveries are around the acceptance of uncertainty and imprecision. Our colleagues have succeeded depite not knowing things. They bring value to conversations that’s hard for us to understand, or sometimes even accept. Of all knowable things, any one of us can only know a fraction. And just one new fact can often completely change our understanding of a situation.
We can get in the way not just because we think we know the answer, but sometimes it’s simply because we believe the answer can be known.
Our attachment to certainty stifles curiosity and creativity.
Next time you’re in a conversation that finds you astounded at someone else’s lack of understanding, consider what one new fact you might be missing that could change your mind. Embrace the uncertainty of not knowing, and give your curiosity a chance to be creative.
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